Free basic 3d cad software

[NT1440]

Hey guys, I have a few ideas that I'd like to finally make some models of, nothing fancy but just finally get a 3d version of my sketches done. I've never used these types of programs before but I'm willing to learn.

Thing is, I'm broke. Does anyone know of any relatively easy to use but also free (maybe open source?) applications I can download? I've done searches but as usual when it comes to searching for free software, all you get is a ton of demos and crippled crap.

Any ideas?

 

[MisterMe]

Have you searched VersionTracker.com or MacUpdate.com?

 

[VPrime]

Google Sketchup.
It is free, and has a paid version. The free version should be good enough for a beginners needs, and the paid version is cheap enough to upgrade if needed.
http://sketchup.google.com/

 

[Let's Sekuhara!]

Blender.

Blender is a free, open source 3D suite for modeling, texturing, animating, and lighting. It does those things so well that it is a substantial rival to Maya (industry standard 3D software).

However, it is not a CAD program. The models you can build in it are not 100% mathematically accurate. This means if you are designing machines or doing engineering work it's not for you.

But it's damn good for just about anything else. The question is: just how accurate do you need to be? If you just want to mock up some prototypes or if your project is more a creative one than a technical one I would advise choosing Blender. If your project requires mathematically flawless machining, you will need a proper CAD program and I don't know of any open source ones. I recommend browsing the blender.org Gallery and deciding for yourself. [What have you got to lose?]

 

[dukebound85]

Blender.

Blender is a free, open source 3D suite for modeling, texturing, animating, and lighting. It does those things so well that it is a substantial rival to Maya (industry standard 3D software).

However, it is not a CAD program. The models you can build in it are not 100% mathematically accurate. This means if you are designing machines or doing engineering work it's not for you.

But it's damn good for just about anything else. The question is: just how accurate do you need to be? If you just want to mock up some prototypes or if your project is more a creative one than a technical one I would advise choosing Blender. If your project requires mathematically flawless machining, you will need a proper CAD program and I don't know of any open source ones. I recommend browsing the blender.org Gallery and deciding for yourself. [What have you got to lose?]

i second blender

just a sorta steep learning curve. some movies were 100% made with blender which is kinda cool!